Newsletter for industry leaders

HKEX's board lot reform standardizes trading units into eight options and lowers the recommended minimum board lot value from HK$2,000 to HK$1,000. More than a technical adjustment, it signals the Exchange's broader push to improve liquidity, accessibility, and competitiveness — with compliance implications for issuers through the transition.

IPO disclosure reform, ESG rollbacks, semiannual reporting, settlement restrictions — the SEC's deregulatory proposals point in one clear direction: less mandatory burden, more flexibility. We step back to look at the agenda as a whole, the sharp divide it has opened between issuers and investors, and why fewer reporting requirements don't equate to lower compliance standards.

The SEC's proposal to permit semiannual instead of quarterly reporting has drawn support from major issuers — and unusually broad opposition from retail investors, accounting standard setters, and pension fund managers. We look at what the comment file reveals about both sides, and why fewer filing deadlines may actually raise the compliance stakes for each disclosure.

The proposed HKEX Issuer Access Platform (IAP), launching in Q4 2026, will centralize regulatory filings and power a redesigned market information portal with near real-time issuer data. More than a technology upgrade, it's part of HKEX's strategy to compete on regulatory infrastructure — and it raises new compliance and investor-communication considerations for issuers and their advisers.

The SEC's proposal to scale back ESG disclosure requirements is one of the most significant reductions in corporate reporting obligations in recent years. Issuers gain lower costs and flexibility — but investors are pushing back, warning that less disclosure means less transparency. Here's why the debate goes beyond ESG, and what it means for compliance teams.